Bernard Healthcare partners with networks to fight cancer

Evolved from J-TOP (a multi-disciplinary cancer care network originating from Japan), V-TOP (Vietnam Team Oncology Program) was founded in 2022. It features the participation of nearly 100 multi-national, multi-disciplinary healthcare professionals. V-TOP 2024, themed "Enhancing Cancer Treatment Quality Through Multi-modal, Multi-disciplinary Team Collaboration," was concurrently held in Hanoi (at the Hanoi Oncology Hospital), Hue City (at Hue Central Hospital), and Ho Chi Minh City, under the leadership of Bernard Healthcare, an international specialized healthcare system.

The V-TOP 2024 International workshop was conducted online in Japan and the United States and in person in Vietnam across three pivotal locations. Photo courtesy of Bernard Healthcare

Continuing the success of its inaugural year, V-TOP 2024 brings together cancer experts from the United States, Japan, and Vietnam.

As one of the guiding figures of J-TOP, Prof. Dr. Keisuke Shirai, an expert in oncology and immunotherapy, Professor at the Department of Hematology/Oncology, Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth College, and Director of the Skin Cancer Program at the Dartmouth Cancer Center (USA), visited Vietnam to participate directly in V-TOP 2024 at the Ho Chi Minh City hub, serving as a mentor throughout the workshop.

Professor Keisuke Shirai serves as a direct international mentor, participating in and guiding trainee discussions at the Ho Chi Minh City hub, hosted by Bernard Healthcare. Photo courtesy of Bernard Healthcare

With nearly 30 years of experience accompanying cancer patients, Professor Shirai understands that cancer treatment requires the collaboration of various medical specialties.

To alleviate the burden of cancer, community awareness of disease screening before symptoms appear needs to be enhanced, he said.

According to Shirai, there is ample evidence showing that early cancer screening can prevent the emergence of future symptoms. Thus, screening is broadly viewed as the best form of palliative care.

For example, lung cancer screening using CT scans has contributed to reducing the mortality rate of the disease.

The application of high-tech imaging diagnostics in cancer screening has yielded similar results for breast and colorectal cancer.

"Cancer screening is the key to successful treatment, so there is a need to improve the quality of screening to reduce the burden and cost of treatment," he said.

"Multidisciplinary Approach in the Management of Metastatic Breast Cancer" by Professor Naoto T. Ueno, Founder of J-TOP, outlines the importance of coordinated care for breast cancer patients involving medical oncologists, surgical oncologists, radiation oncologists, pathologists, radiologists, and other specialists or experts from various fields.

Multimodal treatment strategies combining surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, and supportive care, among others, are crucial for achieving optimal disease control.

The implementation of a multidisciplinary and multimodal team model not only enhances the quality of cancer treatment but also helps alleviate the burden on the healthcare system.

Nguyen Nam Phuong, CEO of Bernard Healthcare, a longstanding partner of V-TOP since its inception, also said that in empathizing with the pain of cancer patients, Bernard recognizes the role of regular screening as recommended by international cancer associations.

This aims to detect and diagnose abnormalities early, thereby easing the burden of cancer.

Therefore, there is a need for more extended arms, and scientific medical information needs to be disseminated widely through workshops like V-TOP.

Nguyen Nam Phuong, CEO of Bernard Healthcare, and Professor Shirai, author of the book "31 Tips to Improve Healthcare Teams," were keynote speakers at V-TOP 2024. Photo courtesy of Bernard Healthcare

As the sole private healthcare institution selected as the liaison point for two consecutive years by V-TOP, Bernard Healthcare not only possesses the advantage of modern technology infrastructure and an experienced teams of doctors but also focuses on deepening its development by combining multiple specialties to ensure high-quality patient care.

Bernard Healthcare is committed to accompanying patients throughout the entire treatment process, "from the beginning to the end."

When clients come to Bernard Healthcare for cancer screening, if any suspicious malignancy is detected, they undergo a multidisciplinary consultation where results from imaging diagnostics (MRI, CT scan...) are cross-checked for a second opinion by a team of professors and radiologists at Yamanashi University Hospital, Japan.

For cancer patients, Bernard Healthcare will support them by connecting with leading specialists and tertiary hospitals for consultation and treatment (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy...)

They will also be facilitated for treatment in hospitals in Japan, if needed.

Additionally, Bernard has a team of doctors and experts who provide comprehensive and continuous care after hospital discharge, improving patients’ quality of life.